


budding like a flower, our love slowly grew

by loserrobin



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, No spoilers in the tags, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-02-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:55:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22500571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loserrobin/pseuds/loserrobin
Summary: Concept : Theon's sudden, fierce love for Jeyne takes him by surprise. (I'd like this story to involve both gen and sweet, fluffy het with a hint of angst. Preferably with some feminist themes.)Setting : Modern AU / Office AU.Warning : so much tooth-rotting fluff, angst in the form of nerves / self-doubt, mostly sweet.Word Count : 2087.Request given by Vedicanarchist on ao3.
Relationships: Gilly/Samwell Tarly - background, Jon Snow/Ygritte - background, Robb Stark/Jeyne Westerling - background, Theon Greyjoy/Jeyne Poole
Comments: 6
Kudos: 24





	budding like a flower, our love slowly grew

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Philosopherscribe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Philosopherscribe/gifts).



> I was going to put this in Canon but I had a Modern AU that fit the request. This was a joy to write, I love me some sappy Theon.

“Don’t forget your jacket,” Jeyne reminds him, tapping his nose with a finger.

Theon brushes the muffin crumbs off his suit then slips it on. He waits for his girlfriend to finish applying lipstick before smudging it with a kiss, grinning at her playful pout. They leave for their respective jobs with a blown kiss and a wave.

He greets Jory on his way into the building, taking the elevator up until he reaches the sixth floor. The clacking of keyboards greets him, a photo-copier sounding off somewhere, the shuffling of papers. It’s another day at the office, Theon taking a seat in his cubicle.

“Morning, Snow,” he calls out at the cubicle next to him. Jon doesn’t answer back, exactly what he was hoping for, giving him an excuse to wheel out his seat and take up his neighbor’s only escape. “I said morning, grump-face.”

“Shove off, Greyjoy.”

“Did you start the coffeemaker yet?” He needn’t ask, Jon keeps that nasty thing brewing the whole shift. “Where’s Robb?”

“Talking to father. You should stop bothering people and get to work.”

Theon is about to make a snide remark about sticks up arses when he’s cuffed on the back of the head. He whirls his head to spit angry curses, but stops short when he realizes it’s his superior, Mr. Rodrik Cassel, silently pointing at his cubicle. Theon retreats, hunching over his desk as he organizes paperwork for an upcoming merger.

“Theon,” Robb’s voice startles him out of his focus ten minutes later. “Did you,” Robb is cut off by a laugh. He’s grinning wide, pointing at the corner of his mouth. “Got a little goodbye present right there.”

Rubbing a hand across his mouth, Theon grumbles. “As if you don’t get any sugar before work.”

Robb, as confident as he can be, still blushes like a virgin. “My Jeyne doesn’t wear lipstick.”

“Oh,” Theon cracks a sly smile, the cat that caught the canary,” so now she’s _your_ Jeyne.”

If possible, Robb’s face grows redder than his hair. He’s quick to shush Theon, looking outside the cubicle for eavesdroppers before shuffling back inside to quietly speak. “It’s been official since the weekend. She finally agreed to go out with me.”

Widening eyes of surprise and joy. “By the gods, Robb, you nabbed her!”

“Shh! I haven’t told my family yet.”

“You didn’t tell Cat?” Jon’s addition makes them both jump, looking over to see him standing in the tiny doorway with a new mug of coffee. “What? You weren’t being that quiet.”

“Don’t say anything,” Robb is saying, voice half a demand and half a plead.

Theon leans back in his chair, continuing unperturbed. “So she’s not some scholar or a medical school graduate. Your mother will get over it. Can’t be worse than Snow’s delinquent girlfriend.”

“Shut up,” Jon snaps at him, hackles raised in defense of his lady love. Jon had brought Ygritte around two years ago, somehow she had broken Mrs. Stark’s favorite decorative plate and subsequently was banned from family gatherings until further notice. Honestly Theon was impressed by the whole thing, but if he said that outloud people would call him an asshole (not that they didn’t do that for other numerous reasons). “You don’t even talk about your girlfriend.”

“ _My_ Jeyne,” he emphasizes with a wink at Robb,” and I are doing just fine. She’s been busy climbing the ladder of baked goods, booked a huge deal with a wedding planner about being an on-call caterer. The business is expanding.”

He’s proud of her, finding her footing in something she loves instead of wasting away in a dead-end job like himself. Every day he gets to come home to their small apartment and help make dinner while listening to Jeyne’s joyful chatter and nonchalant complaints. It dampens the dull routine of his life, her small smile a daily highlight.

“It’s been four years,” Robb muses. “When are you going to tie the knot?”

“Unlike some people I don’t go around with a ring in my pocket and thoughts of marrying a girl I barely know.”

Jon ignores Robb’s flustered sputtering to say,” But you have known her for four years.”

Theon is very aware. Four years ago after a bad break up, he’d happened upon Jeyne in a bar one night. A month later they were talking regularly and half a year later they went on their first date. Two years ago they’d gotten an apartment together, Jeyne moving in her potted plants and replaced Theon’s mismatched living set with her own.

“You can’t rush these things. What’s your excuse?”

Jon glares at him and moves back to his work space. Robb shakes his head, watching him go and waves as he too finds work to be done. Theon is left with his papers and a buzzing thought in the back of his head.

\---

It’s a Thursday, a good day to be off because the movie theater does a discount on their tickets and Jeyne has a romcom she wanted to see. Theon doesn’t have to go, but he always does and Jeyne knows his secret interests enough to pick one out that he’s bound to enjoy too.

Something strange happens, however. While they’re getting snacks and soda, Theon looks at her, unable to tear his gaze away, limply putting money in the hand of the concession stand attendant. He doesn’t know why at first, maybe it’s the way the fluorescent lighting hits her hair or how her lip balm makes her mouth shiny.

“Theon?” He blinks and realizes he’s leaned in, almost nose to nose with her. Jeyne’s smile has curved with humor. “We’re holding up the line, come on.”

She grasps his hand and he is helpless to her pull, rolling like a wave in her direction, following after her. The moment they sit down, he’s looking at her again, heart squeezing something fierce. _What is it? Why am I feeling this way?_

The tips of his fingers tingle where they touch her wrist, smoothing skin against skin. _Has her skin always looked like this_ , he wondered, _has she always felt this wonderful?_

The previews playing in the background flash color across Jeyne’s cheeks, flecks of green and red and blue traipse left to right, pronouncing her eyes when she turns to look at him again. _Has her nose always scrunched like?_ It’s cute, everything about her is cute and pretty.

“What is it?” She whispers in a hushed voice, curiosity lighting up her eyes even in the dimness of the theater.

His throat is tight with something, words trying to claw their way out, heavy enough to steal his breath for a long moment. “I don’t know,” he croaks.

\---

“Snow, who is that friend of yours with the chick and the kid?”

“Well, Greyjoy,” drawled with annoyance,” that could describe a number of people. Describe ‘friend’ and ‘chick’ and ‘kid’.”

Theon sighs as if more put-upon than Jon. “The guy you meet for lunch sometimes.”

“... are you spying on me?”

“No,” snapped with aggression,” you’re just loud sometimes. Now who is he?”

Jon’s keyboard tapping stops and Theon’s cubicle door is filled with dark and broody. “Why do you want to know,” asked with suspicion.

Theon would like to avoid this topic altogether with Jon, but Robb was surprisingly unhelpful earlier when he’d asked. “I just have some questions for him.”

“About what?”

“Why are you so nosy,” Theon counters.

“That’s my bestfriend you’re asking about.” Jon narrows his eyes and color Theon surprised because he had no idea they were that close. _Robb lied to me. He’d know who Jon’s best mate is_ , he thinks, but he’ll deal with that later.

“I need advice from him. And before you ask, no it isn’t anything weird.”

Jon looks at him for a long moment, contemplative. A dip of the brow suggests he’s working that hamster on the mind-wheel overtime. Eventually he says,” I’m meeting him for lunch tomorrow. You can… join us if you want.”

“I need privacy,” he’s quick to say. “But if you could give him my number… I’d appreciate it.”

“Did _Theon Greyjoy_ just tell _me_ he’s _thankful_?”

“Don’t have a meltdown, Snow,” he sneers and turns back to his work, dismissing all notions of being thankful of anything now (but really he is).

\---

“I can’t believe you lied to me.”

“I didn’t lie,” Robb defends. “I don’t know all the details.”

“Liar.” A poke to Robb’s side earns him an elbow. “Since when did you learn how to lie?”

“It’s not lying,” Robb counters again, crossing his arms. “Jon doesn’t talk about the friends he’s made while working for the Red Cross. He’s secretive about it for some reason.”

Robb’s pout makes Theon chuckle, but it is strange considering how close they are. Then again, after Jon had dropped out of college, things had been rockier. He didn’t go to their boys night out again until this recent year.

“Well, he said he’d give the guy my number.”

Robb gives him a look that spells a warning. “Don’t do anything that you’ll make me pay for too.”

“I’m not! I’m just going to ask the guy for some advice.”

“What kind of advice?”

“Not telling you,” both a tease and a cautious push.

“I thought I was your bestfriend? What could you ask a stranger you can’t ask me?”

Theon hates that he actually feels bad, curse Robb and his puppy eyes. “It’s only something someone married can help me with.”

“Is something going on between you and Jeyne?” Robb’s expression is worried and sympathetic. “Did something happen?”

“We’re still together, romance boy,” Theon assures him.

_I hope to be for a long time_ , he doesn’t say because sappiness isn’t like him, but Jeyne has whittled his emotions free over the years.

\---

“Oh!” The voice of Jon’s friend, Samwell Tarly, pitches high with delight. “I can help with that!” His excitement is embarrassing, but Theon himself can’t fight the growing bubble of eager anticipation filling his gut.

\---

Jeyne’s laughter is music to his ears, her joy giving him a rush of love like adrenaline in his veins. She’s beautiful, always is, in her dark grey dress with a small leg slip that steals his attention once or twice. It’s her turn to pick the restaurant tonight, a wine and dine place that’s just on the right side of fancy. Jeyne is having a nice red wine paired with her salmon, but tonight Theon is taking it easy with water, wanting to stay coherent.

He’s afraid to loosen his tie despite the lump in his throat, palms feeling sweaty as nerves start to crawl up his back. His neck and face feel hot, fingers drumming along his leg as he practices the words he’s about to speak in his head a final time.

A soft, light touch brings his fuzzy focus back to Jeyne, her hand atop his. “Are you okay? You’ve been staring at your plate and mumbling to yourself.”

Adoration fills him up, pushing the words to overflow from his mouth, nerves be damned. “Jeyne, I need you to know I love you with everything I am. I’m sorry I wasn’t always the best, you’ve done a lot by supporting me and being strong when I could not.”

“Theon…”

“Listen, please,” he pleads and now he is in a rush to get the air trapped in his lungs out. He moves to kneel beside her chair, looking up at the curious brown eyes he’s come to love so much. “Jeyne, my sweet Jeyne, I came to a realization. I don’t want to be without you. If you’ll have me I’d like…”

He pulls the box from his pocket, black and smooth, carefully opens it to reveal the ring inside. The diamond cut was perfect for her, Sam had known what he was talking about. Theon watches her face, desperate for an answer to the silent question in the air. He doesn’t know if her hand covering her mouth is from shock or horror, if the tears watering her eyes are from joy or devastation.

“Say it,” she manages to whisper, a quiet demand.

He swallows thickly. “Marry me?”

An immediate chorus of “yes, yes, yes!” is squealed into the air and soon Theon’s back is on the carpeted floor, a happy soon-to-be wife sprawled on top of him. The curve of his mouth is wide, freed of anxiousness to show his elation.

Oh, what a sap he’d become while falling in love.

**Author's Note:**

> If you like what you've read, check out my profile and other works. Thank you to the requester for this wonderful prompt!


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